Heard in the Hall

It's been a tough week for Philadelphia, and the newspapers report what's obvious to everyone: the city is on edge. Three cops shot in four days. Two massive manhunts. "Murder and mayhem," as Michael Nutter put it, not a mile from the site where seven presidential candidates were debating. Worse, officer Charles Cassidy, shot at a Dunkin' Donuts yesterday morning, is in grave condition this morning. Crime is the story of the day, the story of the year. The Inquirer looks at the alarming targeting of police officers here. A report on Cassidy's shooting is here. The man who shot three people in Center City before taking aim at another officer and plunging into the Schulkyll River? A convicted murderer, recently released from prison. Those who know Cassidy are reeling. The Daily News of course is all over the events as well. Stories here, here, here, and here.

There was plenty of other news yesterday as well. Critics and supporters of the Philadelphia Parking Authority debate how well the agency has been run. It turns out that Smokin' Joe Frazier is a Philadelphia tax deadbeat. Michael Nutter unveiled his public health plan. PICA warned that the city is spending far too little on infrastructure investment. And 8th District Council candidate Jim Foster said he would throw his support behind fellow challenger Rev. Jesse Brown, in an attempt to unseat incumbent Donna Reed Miller.

At 10:14 a.m., City Council paused for a moment of silence during its weekly meeting, and Iman Mohamed Shebata opened the meeting with a prayer in Arabic for Cassidy. Eighteen minutes later, Council President Anna Verna stopped the meeting to announce Cassidy's death. The chamber groaned.

"Let's just hope that things change in this city," Verna said.

"May he rest in peace," Councilman Juan Ramos said from the podium, where he as standing for a ceremonial resolution.

David Oh's hitting the airwaves this weekend, with an ad touting his Inquirer editorial board endorsement and the other organizations backing his candidacy.

One thing that doesn't come up at all? The fact that David Oh is a Republican candidate for City Council.

Oh's campaign manager says you can spot the ad on the big network channels this weekend.

State Rep. William Keller and City Controller Alan Butkovitz yesterday urged support of a bill that would require parolees to voluntarily submit to searches at any time as a condition of their release from prison.
The measure passed the state House of Representatives Wednesday by a 189-8 vote. Keller said he was seeking a hearing on the bill before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The bill applies only to those who commit violent or gun-related crimes, and has been supported by Commissioner Sylvester Johnson. Parolees would have to sign a waiver as a condition of parole that allows any law enforcement officer to search their person, home, car or other property without cause.
Keller, who introduced the bill at Butkovitz’s request, said Jerome Whitaker, 29, who wounded four people, including police officer Mariano Santiago Tuesday — was a parolee who would have been a perfect candidate for such a program. Whitaker jumped into the Schuylkill River and drowned following the shootings.

The election is days away, but all eyes remain on crime and the manhunt for officer Chuck Cassidy's killer. We check in with officers to see how they're reacting to the third shooting of one of their own in less than a week. In one small bit of good news, Officer Mariano Santiago - the cop shot Tuesday night in Center City - was released from the hospital and is heading home. Cassidy will be remembered in a City Hall memorial service in Room 202 at 10 a.m. today. Our readers are thinking crime first as well. Check out this comment thread re: Cassidy's death, full of grief, vitriol, policy debates and general pain over the state of the city's streets.

On the political front, City Council passed legislation that offers tax breaks to employers who hire ex-offenders, a victory for the bill's sponsor Wilson Goode Jr., and for Michael Nutter, who backed the legislation. A study by Mayor Street's education taskforce recommended that Philadelphia's public schools be moved back under city control by 2010. Clout takes a look at the meager street money available for this election. Also in the Daily News: after years of negotiations, Councilman Brian O'Neill gave the greenlight to Fox Chase Cancer's Center expansion plans, and it looks like Mayor Street will leave his successor with a surpringly big budget surplus.

Marcia Gelbart's just filed this report:

Mayor Street opened up a City Hall prayer vigil this morning with the recognition that in the wake of Police Officer Chuck Cassidy's death the city is ubder "psychological, emotional and spiritual" stress.

"We have a family that needs a lot of prayer," Street told a crowd gathered in a second-floor reception room. "We have a police commissioner that needs to becomforted and supported."
Several religious leaders, one by one, offered individual remarks.

Commissioner Sylvester Johnson could not be present because he was attending a pre-planned police promotion ceremony at Temple University.

The mayor left at 10:35 to attend the ceremony.

Among the elected officials present are Congrssmembers Bob Brady, Allyson Schwartz and Chaka Fattah, as well as several City Councilmen, and mayoral nominees Michael Nutter and Al Taubenberger.

The vigil was orgamized by the city Commission on Huaman Relations.

Michael Nutter’s noontime get-out-the-vote rally at Love Park turned into a rally against violence, with Nutter sounding less like a mayor and more like the mayor in talking about finding the killer of police officer Chuck Cassidy.

"Somebody knows. Be a man, be a woman, be a civilized citizen in this city and tell what you know. Because somebody knows. And that person out there who did it, you know what you did. You know it was wrong," Nutter intoned.

"You know we’re looking for you. You know we’re gonna find you. You know we’re gonna find you," he repeated, his voice rising. "We will not rest, we will not get tired, we will not go to sleep, we will not forget."

"WE. WILL. FIND YOU," he thundered. "Give up. Give up right now."

Inspector General Seth Williams went undercover on Halloween to investigate a suspected violator of Philadelphia’s employee residency requirement.
Williams, decked out as a Rastafarian, deputized his 3-year-old daughter (aka DeeDee Doodlebop) and 7-year-old daughter (aka Violet Incredible) and went to Lansdowne to knock on the door of a Department of Human Services employee who swears he lives in the city. Williams said the man, whose name he wouldn’t release because the investigation is continuing, answered the door when they knocked about 8:30 p.m. He told them he wasn’t giving out candy.
“The trick was on him,” Williams said. Residency violators be warned: Make sure you look twice at Santa. And the elves.

The election is tomorrow. Will anyone show? The Inquirer wrestled with that question over the weekend, pondering the possibility that Democratic mayoral nominee Michael Nutter might set two records: one for a record win, in percentage terms, and another for drawing the lowest election-day turnout in decades. The final debate of the campaign season seems unlikely to have created more interest in this one-sided contest. There are other races, however, and they could be close. David Oh's quest to become one of (almost certainly) two at-large Republicans on City Council, for example, and the fight for the state Supreme Court.

Still you can't blame folks for looking past Tuesday. John Baer has an interesting sit-down interview with Michael Nutter, who's doing nothing to tamp down the high expectations that have built up around him. Tom Ferrick takes a look at the city's mood on the eve of this election, and finds that people are hopeful, even as they tell pollsters that the city is worse off then it was before. Mayor Street is thinking about his legacy.

Elsewhere, the manhunt contintues for officer Chuck Cassidy's killer.

It's almost Election Day and here comes the late money to win elections and make friends. Electronic filings with the Department of Records show Mikey Nutter coalition-buying, er, building, with $10,000 from Nutter for Mayor to incumbent Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller, whose support he will need in a new administration, and $5,000 to Democratic council candidate Bill Green, a professed Nutter ally who will easily win a seat Tuesday. Both contributions were made Oct. 31.
Incumbent Republican at-large Councilman Jack Kelly, in battle for his political life (he has said this is likely his last term), got $10,000 on Oct. 26 from Michael Karp's University City Housing Associates, one of the largest rental landlords in the area, and another $10-large from ol' reliable state Rep. John Perzel, the Republican powerhouse from North Philly. Perzel gave from his Friends of John Perzel Nov. 1.
Incumbent Republican District Councilman Brian J. O'Neill also got some last minute juice, with the United Brothers of Carpenters and Joiners and the Federal Employees Credit Union PAC kindly chipping in $10,000 each on Oct. 23.
Neither Kelly's Democratic opponent, Sean McAleer, or Kelly's chief Republican rival, David Oh, showed that kind of last-minute money.
And in the "here's a bunch of money even though you don't need it" category, unopposed Municipal Court Judge candidate Jacquelyn Frazier-Lyde (Joe Frazier's daughter) received $25,000 from the Laborers District Council PAC on Nov. 1. That's no surprise -- she used to be
administrator and Legal Fund Counsel for the Laborers’ District Council Prepaid Legal Fund in Philadelphia. And for those of you wondering about city campaign contribution limits ($20,000 for a PAC in the Mayor's race, $10,000 for a PAC in other races), they don't apply to Judges, who are state employees.

Election day is upon us, and Heard in the Hall will be tracking events all day. Check back here for returns, for reports from the polls, for the dish from the Famous Deli, for the scene from the candidate's election parties and more. Please send us tips and stories from the voting booth.

After a long and stormy night, it looks like the day is beginning to dry out, which is good news in terms of turnout. It's easy to imagine a record low had the rain kept up. On, tap today? A mayor's race (of sorts), a pair of district council races that could get interesting, and the David Oh-Jack Kelly fight for one of two GOP at-large council seats. There's more drama to be had in the suburbs, and Philadelphia judicial candidates seeking statewide office have their fingers crossed that turnout isn't too terrible. Read all about it here.

Elsewhere: Philadelphia police nabbed the alleged killer of Chuck Cassidy at a homeless shelter in Miami this morning. Gov. Rendell asked City Controller Alan Butkovitz to begin an intensive audit of the Philadelphia Parking Authority, and Inspector General Seth Williams said he would look into the PPA consulting contract of former GOP ward leader and current BRT member James Dintino. It seems Michael Nutter was not invited to a recent confab starring SugarHouse casino bigs and Mayor Street and Gov. Rendell.

Just how much of a charade is this mayoral race? So much so that the city's independent election watchdog, the Committee of Seventy, is already sending out press releases announcing which candidate - likely - would be making his first address after today's election ends.
On the other hand, it's no surprise who that is.

MEDIA ADVISORY Contact: Ellen Mattleman Kaplan

Vice President and Policy Director

(215) 557-3600, ext. 102

(267) 241-1628 (cell)

MAYOR-ELECT OF PHILADELPHIA TO MAKE FIRST OFFICIAL ADDRESS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2007

WHAT: New Mayor-Elect of Philadelphia (likely Democratic and former City Councilman Michael Nutter) will make his first public address on the morning after the general election at a breakfast hosted by the Committee of Seventy.

WHY: This is the first opportunity for citizens and members of the news media to hear from Philadelphia’s next Mayor about plans for transitioning to his new administration.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 8 a.m. (Doors open at 7:30 a.m.) Mayoral address scheduled for 8:45 a.m.

WHERE: The Park Hyatt at the Bellevue, 200 S. South Broad Street, Grand Ballroom.

Background: The morning after the general election, the new Mayor-Elect of Philadelphia will make his first official address to the City at a breakfast for 400 people hosted by the Committee of Seventy. Seventy is the oldest organization in the country devoted to fostering citizen involvement and improving local government.

“Once the election is over, the winner has to immediately turn his attention from what he might do if elected to what he will do as Mayor. That’s what people hope to hear,” said Zachary Stalberg, Seventy’s President and CEO. “We are looking forward to welcoming the new Mayor as he begins to spell out his agenda for the transition and the beginning of his term.” Stalberg commended both Democrat Michael Nutter and Republican Al Taubenberger for running a civil and issues-oriented campaign. As a sign of appreciation, Seventy has also invited the losing mayoral candidate to offer brief remarks at the November 6th breakfast. Stalberg said he hopes that bringing the candidates together after the election will become a new tradition.

The Committee of Seventy is a non-partisan organization conducting a permanent campaign to improve the Philadelphia region by demanding ethical conduct of public officials, safeguarding elections, promoting government efficiency and educating citizens.

Some questions to ponder as we wait for the polls to close to tell us what we already know.

Why did Michael Nutter skip the traditional corned-beef lunch at the Famous Fourth Street Deli? Democratic Party chairman Bob Brady came. State Sen. Vincent Fumo was there. Even Nutter's GOP challenger Taubenberer made an appearance. Was this move part of Nutter's reformist message? Or does he simply not like their matzo ball soup?

Will Nutter ditch the post-Election Day lunch at The Palm?

This is Mayor Street's last Election Day as a public official of three decades. How did he spend it?

For the record, the number of voters who cast ballots in the 1995 mayoral race: 327,863. What will that number be tonight?

The Committee of Seventy sent out a press release earlier (see posting below) announcing tomorrow morning’s first scheduled address by Philadelphia’s newly-elected mayor.

But the watchdog group never meant to say WHO that mayor would be.

That part of the news release – saying the speech would be delivered by the “New Mayor-Elect of Philadelphia (likely Democratic and former City Councilman Michael Nutter)” - was apparently inserted by the media firm, Bellevue Communications, that Seventy hired to get the news out.

“It had been edited to include the name of the likely winner of tonight’s election,” Seventy vice president Ellen Mattleman Kaplan told us a few moments ago. “The Committee of Seventy would never have named the winner of the election prior to the outcome.”

City Councilwoman Carol Ann Campbell may be secretary of the Democratic City Committee, but that doesn't mean she's voting straight ticket.
Campbell said she gave one of her five votes for at-large City Council person to fellow Council member Jack Kelly, even though he's a Republican. "I like Jack Kelly," Campbell said. "He's a nice man, he's a good man, his heart is in the right place."
(Campbell also confesses a certain fondness for Irish politicians, who ran with her father, long-time Clerk of Quarter Sessions and Ward Leader Edgar Campbell Sr.).
But her Kelly vote means one of five Democrats running for at-large seat didn't get her vote.
So who was it, Carol? Jim Kenney, Wilson Goode Jr., Blondell Reynolds Brown, William Greenlee. or Bill Green? She won't tell -- "They'll run me out of there on the rails," she said.
Campbell will certainly not be alone among political realists who understand that the five Democrats can't lose, and Democratic votes will determine which Republicans win the two at large seats reserved for the minority.

Polls are closing right now, and from what we've gathered in visits to polling places across the city, turnout was dismal. Bad enough to set a new record? Maybe. The morning rain didn't help. Neither did the waits at some locations created by a long and confusing ballot. We hear though that Chinatown precincts were fairly busy. Good news, perhaps, for GOP at-large city council candidate David Oh?

Remember the war of words earlier this year between D.A. Lynne Abraham and Mayor Street? Well Abraham sure does. She kept it up tonight, offering an unsolicited critique of Street to Marcia Gelbart, who's covering the scene at Nutter headquarters.

"This mayor’s major fatal flaw was that he thought the police could do it all and he cut the courts out," Abraham said.

Asked about Nutter, the district attorney replied: “he has said everybody will be at the table which is a welcome statement.”

All this from Marcia Gelbart:

Michael Nutter has made his way to his election night party at the Warwick Hotel, where he stopped briefly to speak to reporters (some still call him "Mike!" We'll see if that changes tomorrow).

"I think people are ready for change and they are ready to come out and vote for it. We’re going to change the way we do business in the city," Nutter said.

Regarding Police Officer Chuck Cassidy's killer: "I knew they’d get him and I’m glad they got him.”

And sked if he’d heard yet from his GOP opponent, Nutter smiled broadly and said: "No. Today is possibly the only day I’ve not talked to Al Taubenberger."

NUTTER, MICHAEL
DEMOCRATIC
38645
82.32 %

TAUBENBERGER, AL
REPUBLICAN
8146
17.35 %

Heard in the Hall must be brief this morning, as Michael Nutter's first major address as mayor-elect will begin within an hour. But here are the highlights from last night: Nutter rolled to a historic win, the biggest since 1931. Turnout was very, very poor. The GOP at-large race remains too close to call, with David Oh holding the slimmest of leads over incumbent Jack Kelly. Councilman Brian O'Neill comfortably fended off a challenge from Sean McAleer, and no other district council challenger came remotely close to winning. We'll have much more for you throughout the day, including a take on Nutter's first address later this morning.

In his first address as mayor elect, Michael Nutter hearkened back to John F. Kennedy's call to public service and asked for the city's "best and brightest" to join his administration.

I want people to start thinking about changing their lives and changing their careers, to come into the government of the City of Philadelphia. Whether it's an executive loan program for experienced executives or also the rising stars in your company. We need your help in order to turn this government around, to change our policies and practices, to have new ideas and new ways of doing business in this city... We need your help and support to show us some of the things you do in your companies to drive value, to enhance shareholder value, to drive revenue up, cut costs and make your bottom line work.

I want you to start thinking about it. Whether it's time for you to make a change, take a detour. And I understand that public service may not be for everyone for the long haul. There is no higher calling, there is no better way to serve your fellow Philadelphians and people in the region then to consider coming into public service. I need your help and I'm asking for your support.

Nutter's remarks seem tailored to the audience, a large group of business leaders who'd asembled for a traditional post-election Committee of 70 breakfast. His speech was mellower than many he has delivered recently, and he spent plenty of time talking about what executives could do to help his administration.

Still, he was received like a rock star ("Bad to the Bone" was played as he entered the ballroom at the Bellevue Hotel where the event was held), and he drew plenty of applause in his 20-minute speech with lines like this: "We need to get over ourselves at a certain level, and stop being so envious of other places. ... We are Philadelphia, and we need to be proud of that."

More to come later.

Update: Want to apply. Nutter is taking resumes over at www.nutter2007.com.

That's the view of the Inquirer's Tom Ferrick. Take a look at his analysis here.

Republican David Oh's lead over incumbent Republican City Councilman Jack Kelly inched up as additional returns came in this morning, but with a 61-vote lead and more than 2,400 absentee, alternative, provisional and military ballots to be counted, election officials said the counting could drag on until Thanksgiving.

By the end of election night, with nearly 97 percent of precincts reporting Oh held a 44-vote lead over Kelly. Additional precincts counted this morning pushed the percentage to 97.38 percent, and Oh led Kelly by 61 votes, 60,137 to 60,076.

The two are fighting for one of two at-large council seats reserved for the minority; incumbent Republican Frank Rizzo beat out Kelly and Oh for the first seat. Five other at-large seats were won by Democrats yesterday.

Bob Lee, the city's voter registration administrator, said he hoped to have an unofficial count of machines by Thursday night, and an official machine count by Friday. But counting of other ballots won't likely begin until Tuesday, after the Veterans Day holiday on Monday. That will be followed by the painstaking process of auditing provisional ballots -- ballots given to people who don't show as registered at their polling place -- to make sure they're legitimate. City Commissioners are supposed to certify the election within 20 days of the vote, or the Monday after Thanksgiving.

"I think we're going to counting for a couple of weeks," Lee said.

As of this morning, elections workers reported 2,238 absentee ballots, 233 alternative ballots, and six military ballots. Alternative ballots are similar to absentee ballots and are given to the handicapped or elderly whose polling place is not fully accessible. More military ballots could come in; they must be postmarked the day before the election and arrive within 7 days after the election.

The number of provisional ballots won't be known before next week.

Answer: Not a heck of a lot of familiar faces.

In fact, if anything underscored the lackluster Election Day that was yesterday, it was the lack of hype and buzz at The Palm at lunchtime today.

That doesn't mean the place was totally uninteresting.

New City Councilman Bill Green took up a chair at a table of half-a-dozen plus union members of John Dougherty's Local 98. He said he plans to catch up on his sleep for the next day or two, and then get to work building his staff.

Also munching away was campaign ad man Neil Oxman. His lunch guest: Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC's Hardball.

Mayor-elect Michael Nutter is likely to name the first member of his administration at 11 a.m., and we'll let you know immediately who it is and what their job will be. Nutter issued a call to public service in his first act as mayor-elect yesterday, while David Oh and Jack Kelly hunkered in for what will likely be a long wait to find out which of them one the last seat on City Council. We'll have updates for you throughout the day.

Larry Tabas comes across as a gentle guy, but the general counsel to the state Republican Party is a guy you want in the room when you're recounting votes and challenging ballots. The Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel partner takes on Democrats with visible relish.
But with two GOP candidates, incumbent City Councilman Jack Kelly and challenger David Oh, locked in battle for the last remaining at-large City Council seat, Tabas has to be careful, lest he or anyone else violate the Republican's 11th Commandment -- Thou Shalt Not Dump on another Republican.
"It's not your typical situation," Tabas said.
Kelly's people have called him, Tabas said, to see if he can provide some type of guidance. While he is a long time friend of Kelly, Tabas said, "I haven't gotten that far," in terms of offering his help.
Oh's lead as of 11:45 a.m. is 16 votes with four divisions still out. This election will be decided by about 2,500 absentee and other ballots to be counted and vetted over the next two weeks.

As predicted in Wednesday's Inquirer, PICA chief Rob Dubow will be the Nutter adminstration's finance director. Just announced. More to come.

From TEMPLE:

PHILADELPHIA – Temple University President Ann Weaver Hart announced today that Mayor John F. Street will teach two undergraduate courses on urban politics and policy in the department of political science during the spring term beginning in January 2008.

“We are delighted that Mayor Street has offered to share his deep experience and acknowledged expertise in urban politics and policy with our students,” Hart said. “His participation will add another dimension to a political science department that has been nationally recognized for providing students with rigorous public service internships and opportunities for hands-on learning in community service.

“We also welcome him as a former teacher who knows the classroom and as a neighbor who understands the strength and diversity of our students and faculty, the uniqueness of our urban mission, and the intellectual and social vibrancy of our campus.”

A 1975 graduate of Temple’s Beasley School of Law, the mayor has long lived within walking distance of the university’s main campus in North Philadelphia. His son Ahkeem is a Temple undergraduate; another son, Leteef, earned a master’s degree in education from Temple; and his daughter Rashida Ng teaches in the architecture program at the university’s Tyler School of Art.

It really gets Mayor John Street's goat when the media claims he's not doing enough about crime, and then ignores events like the one he had today for his anti-truancy program.
Street inducted 246 parents into the program, which he feels is a key part of his Safer Streets initiative. Safer Streets 2007 has included hiring 200 more police officers; opening 11 more Curfew Centers; creating three “one-stop shops” to help ex-offenders re-enter communities; training 1,000 clergy members in conflict resolution techniques; training 174,000 public school children in conflict resolution techniques; getting additional funding for youth violence reduction programs; and advocating stricter handgun laws.
Let it not be said that Heard in the Hall isn't listening! For more on today's ceremony, read on for the press release:

David Oh’s lead over incumbent City Councilman Jack Kelly fell to 7 votes Thursday after all machine votes were counted in the unofficial tally.
Oh, challenging Kelly for one of two at-large council seats reserved for the minority party, has 60,366 votes, to 60,359 for Kelly. He held a 24-vote lead Wednesday before the final 0.5 percent of divisions came today.
Bob Lee, the city's voter registration administrator, said it usually takes several days after the elections to gather all machine cartridges — at least two of them were found in a police cruiser, having fallen out of a plastic bag when the officer delivered them from their polling place. It’s not the first time that has happened.
Official count of the machines, which includes re-reading of digital cartridges, will be done Friday, but that won’t produce a final result.
The race is expected to be decided over the next two weeks as more than 2,400 absentee, military and provisional ballots are counted, starting wtih absentee ballots Friday.

As Michael Nutter began filling his cabinet (Rob Dubow was his first hire, stories here and here), Mayor Street began making his retirement plans. Looks like Hizzoner will be teaching a pair of undegraduate seminars at Temple University next semester, on politics and government naturally. That's a class worth taking, but I imagine he'd be one tough grader. Stories here, here and here.

State Rep. Dwight Evans is taking on a big problem in Harrisburg today. What to do with PGW. He's got legislation that would give the Public Utilities Commission the authority to essentially compel a utility, like PECO, to take control of the problem-ridden gas works.

Jill Porter of the Daily News ponders an interesting question: is Michael Nutter's skin thick enough to be a successful mayor.

When Mayor Street becomes Professor Street next year, guess who's going to join him behind the lectern as a guest speaker? None other than mayor-elect Michael Nutter, a guy who's locked horns with Street perhaps more than any other public figure in the city. In an interview this morning (which you can read all about in Sunday's Inquirer), Nutter said that Street asked him to speak to his class, and Nutter quickly agreed. "I think that'd probably be one of the most well-attended classes that he gives," Nutter said.

The mayor-elect also praised Street for moving quickly to set up transition meetings.

"He wants things to be as smooth as possible and I greatly appreciate that," Nutter said. "We’re two very deeply passionate caring public servants, and from time to time we might have a difference of opinion about some public policy sisues. It’s not personal. And I think Mayor Street wants to make sure that the city of Philadelphia ... functions and operates well after his term is up."

The machine votes are in, and challenger David Oh is still seven votes ahead of incumbent City Councilman Jack Kelly.

That's the official word this afternoon from the city board of elections.

But it's not the last word.

The results have yet to be certified, as nearly 2,400 absentee vote still must be counted.

Here are the actual numbers:

Kelly: 60,359
Oh: 60,366

The counting of absentee and other paper ballots will continue Monday - the Veterans Day holiday - as it did all weekend, to resolve the statistical dead-heat in the race for the last City Council seat.

Sixteen of 17 council seats were decided on Tuesday, most of them painlessly for incumbent candidates. But Republican incumbent Councilman Jack Kelly and challenger David Oh are still fighting for one of two at-large seats reserved for the minority party.

Oh leads Kelly by seven votes, out of more than 120,000 cast, in the official Board of Elections count. But that tally is far from finished, and each candidate’s camp said absentee ballots they have been able to count show a Kelly lead.

The only votes officially counted thus far are machine votes, so the election will be decided by at least 2,600 absentee, alternative, military and provisional ballots.

Meet Lisa Nutter. We get the impression that Philadelphia's next first lady is going to be a lot of fun. Her husband Michael, meanwhile, appeared surprisingly relaxed and well-rested (more relaxed and well-rested than Heard in the Hall, anyway) at the end of his busy first week as mayor elect. In a lengthy interview with the Inquirer, Nutter looked ahead to the rest of his transition, and talked about schools, crime (including the blunt way he talks about crime) and contract negotiations.

The Fels Institute of Goverrnment over at Penn polled mayors from across the country seeking "great ideas" for Nutter to consider. They're posted over at the Next Mayor. They're concrete, achievable goals too. Worth a read.

And over at Metro, they've got a quick Q&A with Mayor Street.
No word yet on Nutter's public schedule for the day, but he'll be out and about plenty this week. He has an address planned on Tuesday night at the Franklin Institute, for instance, at the opening of an exhibit on Philadelphia's identity.

So far, Michael Nutter is getting what he asked for: Resumes.

Lots of them.

Nutter said this morning during a speech at Drexel University that he had received more than 1,000 resumes. Spokeswoman Melanie Johnson put a finer point on it: It's actually 1,119.

Nutter, who generally speaks without notes, was as jovial and relaxed as ever. Upon receiving a gift that was clock, he poked fun at himself for being a few minutes late to the event, saying, "Woody Allen really was correct: Apparently 85 percent of life is just showing up."

Also worth noting: He revealed that he actually got about one hour's worth of sleep Election Night. Seems he was having too good of a time at what he called "one of the best parties I've ever been to."

We don't know who Citizens Opposed to Politicians Who Pander to Perverts are yet, but whoever they are could be in a bit of trouble.
Sources say that this group is not registered as an election committee, but that didn't stop them from sticking fliers denouncing City Councilman Jack Kelly on car windshields in church parking lots on Sundays leading up to the Nov. 6 election.
Somebody didn't like the fact that Kelly voted May 31 with 15 other council members (Councilman Brian O'Neill voted against) to break the $1 a year lease with the Boy Scouts, based on a legal opinion that the city couldn't rent to an organization that discriminated against gays. The city last month upped the Scouts rent to $199,999 annually as a "fair market" price. Kelly offered a resolution that would compensate the Boy Scouts for improvements to the building, but he withdrew it so as not to complicate ongoing negotiations.
The "VOTER ALERT," printed on a yellow index card, reads: "Councilman Jack Kelly voted with the homosexual lobby to remove the Boy Scouts from their city rent-free headquarters. The Scouts can remain only if they agree with the homosexual agenda which would promote sodomy to our youth. Not too long ago this would have caused Jack Kelly to be tarred and feathered for contributing to the delinquency of minors. Today, all we can do is to retire him from City Council. Distributed by COPPP - Citizens Opposed to Politicians Who Pander to Perverts, P.O. Box 57040, Philadelphia, PA 19111. ANYONE BUT KELLY."

No doubt he would rather have won last May's Democratic primary for mayor of Philadelphia, but U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah is getting a new assignment that could give him a big voice in the future of hundreds of cities.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) named Fattah chairman of the new, bipartisan Congressional Urban Caucus. First order of business: recruit members. Since it's a brand new endeavor, Fattah should have plenty of leeway in setting the direction for the group.

"The nation really has no urban agenda, no focus on the challenges and opportunities facing cities," Fattah said. He said he will recruit members from congressional districts in the nation's largest metropolitan areas, including suburban representatives.

"The only way to think about the American city going forward is to think about the regions around the city, not just the core," Fattah said.

It sure looks like it. Mayor-elect Michael Nutter has a "MAJOR ANNOUCEMENT ON CRIME AND PUBLIC SAFETY" (the caps are his) at noon today, at 51st and Chestnut. Obviously we'll have all the details as soon as they're available.

Sources say Nutter's choice for police commissioner is Charles H. Ramsey, who left his job as the top cop in the nation's capital last January, when a new mayor took office there.
Ramsey led a police force about two-thirds the size of Philly's.
Nutter is expected to make the announcement official in 50 minutes, at the YMCA on Chestnut Street and 51st Street.

Jennifer Lin has this report from the latest casino hearings:

It got downright nasty at yesterday’s Commerce Department hearing over whether the city has authority to grant the SugarHouse casino project permission to build on submerged lands.

Anti-casino activists, shouting over the boos of laborers with the building trades, were tossed out by police from the auditorium at the Convention Center at a rate of one every 10 minutes.
Construction workers, meanwhile, hissed at State Sen. Vincent Fumo, while drowning out Commerce Director Stephanie Naidoff who vainly shouted, “Quiet please!”

Fumo, who is facing federal charges of misusing state funds, was taunted with jeers of “Allenwood! Allenwood!” and “They’ll love you in Lewisburg!” -- a reference to two federal prisons.

Fumo held his own, at one point telling his supporters in the crowd, “Don’t applaud, it just upsets the animals.”

Meet the city's new top cop, Charles H. Ramsey, who pretty much personifies the big city police chief. The lead story is here, a backgrounder on his days in Washington is here, early reaction from Philadelphia police is here. They cover similar territory over at the Daily News, with these stories. The media savvy Ramsey met with the Inquirer's editorial board on his first day in town, which seemed favorably impressed by Mayor Elect Michael Nutter's pick. It looks like former commissioner John Timoney will be on Radio Times shortly to discuss Ramsey. That's worth checking out.

This was Nutter's single most anticipated post-election announcement, and though there is some understandable trepidation within the police department at the prospect of an outside leader, Ramsey seems to be getting high early marks. We'll have much more on the new commissioner in the days and weeks to come. Still no word (at least no reliable word) on who Nutter will name as chief of staff or managing director.

City Council, meanwhile, has balked at a contract that would benefit three of his former aides. Story here. Read about other council business here.

William Bunch over at Attytood has a provocative must-read post on Nutter's choice for police commissioner.

A small excerpt: "If you are a civil-liberties-chucker, then Charles Ramsey is your man."

The Committe of 70 just issued a press release backing mayor-elect Michael Nutter's call for an amendment to the City Charter that would give the police commissioner the power to appoint his own command staff. It seems the committee's already been working on the language for such an amendment. Full release after the jump.

With the Eagles home on Thanksgiving, look for the city’s Frankford Chargers, their home field at Gambrel Playground, and City Councilman Daniel Savage to steal the local football spotlight in the national premiere of Fox Sports Net’s new show, Operation Field Rescue.
Think “Pimp My Playground” — Operation Field Rescue swoops into needy areas for a makeover of their recreation center centers. It found a willing candidate at the Gambrel Playground, where its namesake, Billy Gambrel, has been coaching and organizing the Frankford Chargers youth football team since 1967.
Councilman Savage helped coordinate more than $2 million in donations from Fox Sports Net and others; AstroTurf pitched to add its trademark surface to the field; and trade unions did work for free. Savage added $200,000 in city recreation money to create a full makeover of the center in addition to the $1.5 million field re-do. Other donors were Pop Warner, the Eagles, Comcast Spectacor, Bock Construction, ATD American, Good Sports, Schutt Sports, New Balance, Spalding, Dunkin' Donuts and the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. Heck, if you're giving out cash, we'll put you on the blog even if we can't fit you in the paper!
Former Eagle Vince Papale hosts. The hourlong show will be telecast Thanksgiving Day on Comcast Sports Net at 4 and 9 p.m., with rebroadcasts on Sunday at 5 p.m., Nov. 27 at 4 p.m., and Dec. 6 at 9 p.m.

Lots of great stories over this weekend.

Mayor Street, once regarded as Public Enemy Number 1 of the city's gay community, will preside over a commitment ceremony this weekend. Marcia Gelbart has the fascinating story.

The Daily News has a good piece today on the complicated relationship between Gov. Rendell and mayor-elect Michael Nutter. Simply put, it's not all candy and roses, though it's been clear of late that Nutter is working hard to improve the relationship, saying city control of the school district is an issue for another day and praising the state's larger role in convention center management. In other Rendell news, the governor is spending some serious political capital on gun control, and it'll be fascinating to see if he gets any traction. And Rendell's friends and allies already seem to be lining up behind a potential successor: Democratic Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato.

In Saturday's paper, the Inquirer had a story on the growing rift between City Council and Committee of 70 CEO Zack Stalberg, who it seems is not as shy and retiring as council would like.

Finally, we have a closer look at the next police commissioner's tenure in D.C. The reviews are mixed, but the overall sentiment appears to be that Charles Ramsey did a solid job.

Update: Overlooked a couple other good reads. Jeff Shields takes a look at the city's retirement program, which permits elected officials like Councilwoman Joan Krajewski to retire, for a day, collect a big benefits check, then return to work at the same salary. And Nutter has decided to apply campaign finance caps to his inauguration fundraising, even though the law does not apply to inauguration committees.

Michael Nutter does the weather for Channel 6. Seriously. Question: can anyone imagine John Street trying this?

via: Next Mayor.

Judging from Heard in the Hall's voicemail and e-mail inbox, readers were intrigued/outraged by our story Saturday on the rift between City Council and Committee of 70 CEO Zack Stalberg. You can find the article here. To recap, Stalberg wrote a pointed op-ed in the Daily News, essentially making the case that council through the years has left a "rotten impression," and that it needed to shape up and help out the next mayor. He used some barbed language, and it irritated more than a few members of City Council.

Reading between the lines a little here, it's clear that at least some members of council feel the Committee of 70 has overstepped its bounds, both in terms of Stalberg's rhetoric and the organization's mission. Seventy is undeniably more aggressive these days, and it is taking public stands on everything from ethics reform, to charter change, to efficiency in government. And Stalberg, who is of course the former editor of the Daily News, is not afraid to publicy question the conduct of council members.

So what do you think? Is council right? Have Stalberg and 70 strayed from their mission and gone too far? Or are these just the complaints of a crew uncomfortable with a strong watchdog?

It can't be easy being Michael Nutter (i.e., the Ethics Guy). He's about to become the first mayor to limit contributions to his inaugural party fund.
Legally, there are no restrictions concerning money raised for the swearing-in festivities.

The fund will be managed by an inaugural committee, which is being formed, Nutter said Friday. It will function as a nonprofit organization, and not a political action committee, which means it is not subject to the city's campaign-finance limits.

That means that legally, donations of any size - $50,000, $100,000, $1 million should he get really lucky - are acceptable.

But ethically . . . Nutter won't allow it.

"We are being consistent with what we did during the course of the mayor's race, even though the law does not apply," he said. He talked about how the spirit of the law was to reduce the overall impact of individual and business contributions.

The bottom line: If you want to support Nutter's inaugural fete, you can give up to $5,000 if you are an individual, or $20,000 if you are a political committee. Same old rules.

So where's the party going to be?

"I'm not on the site selection committee," Nutter said. "There are a whole group of people working on that. They will figure out a real good location, what food to have, which band to pick."

Incumbent Republican City Councilman Jack Kelly will declare victory this afternoon over David Oh, 13 days after the two finished in a statistical dead heat. The count is finished at the Board of Elections and an official tally is expected this afternoon with Kelly winning by more than 100 votes. More to come.

MEDIA ALERT

Councilman Jack Kelly To Declare Re-Election Victory Over Republican Challenger David Oh

Who: Republican At-Large City Councilman Jack Kelly

What: Press conference in which Councilman Kelly will be declaring victory in the closely contested race with Republican challenger David Oh. The final, uncertified tabulations will be made this afternoon by the
Election Court judges. Kelly holds a 137 vote lead over Oh.

When: Today, Monday, November 19th at 3:30 pm.

Where: Philadelphia Election Court, 520 North Delaware Avenue, Second Floor (Delaware Ave. and Spring Garden Street; enter on Spring Garden Street side).

Board of Elections administrator Bob Lee just told us that the computer system is down and won't be back up for at least four hours, meaning the official, final vote on the Jack Kelly-David Oh race might not be announced until tomorrow. Kelly cancelled a 3:30 p.m. press conference to claim victory, though he is still expected to win the official count. Whether Oh contests the election after that remains to be seen.

For real, and without a seance.

We hear that former President Bill Clinton, sometimes known as "Elvis" for his skill as a political performer, is scheduled to appear at the Electric Factory Dec. 11 for an afternoon rally/fundraiser on behalf of Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign for president. Tickets are $100 per person, and organizers hope to have 2,000 people in the house.

President Clinton will be the featured guest at a smaller event for high-rollers later the same day at the Constitution Center. Tickets to that event: $1,000 a person.

Gov. Rendell is scheduled to appear before a legislative committee at 10 a.m. to make the case for new gun control laws. Heard in the Hall doesn't typically keep a close eye on Harrisburg, but given the issue, and given the political capital that Rendell is risking, this is worth watching. Check back later for more. You can watch the proceedings yourself online at www.pahouse.net.

It looks like friend to the animals Jack Kelly has defeated David Oh for the final at-large seat on City Council. The count isn't final, but it's a fairly big margin and both camps seem to think Kelly has the victory. How did the race end up being so close? Oh certainly ran a strong campaign, but it also seems possible that Kelly's position on raising the rent on the Boy Scouts contributed to his surprisingly weak showing.

Elsewhere, two members of the Zoning Board may be flouting an Ethics Board ruling prohibiting their participation in political activity. Metro takes a look at Michael Nutter's packed itinerary, noting that he hasn't let up since winning the election.

Mayor Street's decision to officiate at a same-sex commitment ceremony this Saturday has not gone over well with the American Family Association of Pennsylvania. In a press release issued this morning, the conservative organization included a summary of the official position of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, to which Street belongs, on homosexuality.

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 20, 2007

CONTACT: Diane Gramley 1.1814.437.5355 or 1.814.271.9078

No, Mayor Street, Same-Sex Marriage is Not Legal In Pennsylvania

(Philadelphia) – Outgoing Mayor John Street’s decision to perform a same-sex commitment ceremony on Saturday at City Hall offers a further explanation in the course Philadelphia has taken in the past several years. Today the American Family Association of Pennsylvania (AFA of PA), a statewide group which supports Pennsylvania’s one man, one woman marriage law and the effort to pass a Marriage Protection Amendment to the PA Constitution, faxed the mayor a letter of concern outlining the wrong messages that will be sent by his involvement in Saturday’s activities.

“Mayor Street has drifted off course during his political career. Once a strong advocate for traditional values, he can no longer be trusted to uphold those values that are supposedly part of his belief system,” said Diane Gramley, President of the AFA of PA.

Mayor Street is a practicing Seventh Day Adventist. Their beliefs include, “Marriage was divinely established in Eden and affirmed by Jesus Christ to be both monogamous and heterosexual, a lifelong union of loving companionship between a man and a woman. . . . . To this biblical view of marriage the Seventh-day Adventist Church adheres without reservation, believing that any lowering of this high view is to that extent a lowering of the heavenly ideal.”

To keep reading, go here:

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court still hasn't decided whether Philadelphia's campaign finance law is valid, so for right now, the law remains intact.

And that means as soon as the new year hits, so do new campaign contribution limits.

A lengthy section of the four-year-old ordinance details how the limits must be adjusted for the 2008 calendar year, and every four years afterward.

Right now the caps limit individual donations to $2,500 a year, and poltiical committees to $10,000. How will that change?

"The Finance Director must calculate the CPI Multiplier by dividing the average consumer price index for Philadelphia during the then-calendar year (2007 for this first calculation) by the average consumer price index for Philadelphia during calender year 2005."

Huh? There's some other nitty-gritty detail in the calculation as well.

To get to the bottom of this and find out what the actual limits will be that will govern the new caps that Mayor-Elect Michael Nutter and others will have to abide by, stay tuned for an answer from the city finance department.

The Philadelphia Board of Ethics, seeing its charge as overseeing the city ordinance, has requested that the new caps be determined, and shared, by the Dec. 15 deadline that is set out in the law.

Despite an unusual personal appeal from Gov. Rendell, two gun control bills before the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee were voted down yesterday, and a third was withdrawn before it too could be defeated. NRA lobbyists declared victory, and indeed, it wasn't even close. A bill that would permit municipalities like Philadelphia to create their own gun laws was defeated on a 19-10 vote, a bill that would limit handgun purchases to one a month went down 17-12, and that was in a Democrat-controlled committee. John Baer of the Daily News sees it as another chapter in the state's ongoing urban-rural culture clash.

Elsewhere, anti-casino activists had their first victory in the courts. Foxwoods was seeking to force the city to approve zoning for the slots parlor, but the court said no, likely leading to further delay in the construction of the casino. Responding to public pressure, the Philadelphia Parking Authority said it would eliminate administrative positions through attrition (saving about $1 million), and take away cars from about 18 managers and reassign them for use in the field (saving about $4 million). The PPA's been under intense scrutiny by the Daily News and the Inquirer. The Daily News got to the cars-for-managers story first, and their account of the cost-saving measures is here. It looks like Wireless Philadelphia could be in some serious trouble. Finally, the first 200 members of the 10,000 man effort to patrol the city's streets will hit the sidewalks Saturday.

It was all hugs and kisses at this afternoon's annual hospitality luncheon - starting with who hosted the event.

Long coordinated by the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority for the first time joined in as a co-sponsor, which seemed a visible message that the sometimes-feuding organizations will try harder to play nice together.

That message was also underlined when Nick DeBenedictis, the chairman of the PCVB, and Buck Riley, chairman of the Convention Center, took the stage together for a dual presentation that was preceded by The O'Jays song, "Love Train."

Mayor-Elect Michael Nutter took to the stage as a different song played: "A Beautiful Day" by U2, presumably complimenting his new slogan (It's a New Day. It's a New Way).

While Nutter sounded all the right chords about "regionalism" and "working together," he also took time to praise Mayor Street, who was seated at the table with him and had talked a few moments before. With Nutter's prompting, about half the ballroom audience stood to honor the outgoing mayor. (And in case you're wondering, the song Street took the stage to: "Oh Happy Day.")

Or simply: Oh - no!
The Philly Board of Elections has just made it official - finally.
City Councilman Jack Kelly will return to Council in January. He beat David Oh by 122 votes.
That's the final count.

The 35-acres that stands empty in the Logan section of Philadelphia has a sore history, but city officials want a bright future for it. So in April the Redevelopment Authority sent out an ambitious request for proposals for a mixed-use commercial and retail center that would make the area a vibrant, walkable neighborhood again.

Known as the Logan Triangle, the aread bounded by Wingohocking Street, 11th Street, Louson Street and Roosevelt Boulevard is like an open wound. Nearly 1,000 rowhomes built between 1910 and 1930 were bulldozed after the whole neighborhood began sinking into an underground creekbed.

It's now going on 22 years since Logan Triangle was declared a federal disaster area in 1986. This year Councilwoman Marian Tasco was hoping to find a propopsal that could integrate some housing with retail and commercial uses and possibly a community center. Instead, the two proposals that came back, one from Tower Investments and one from The Goldenberg group, had the look and feel of a suburban, big-box, parking-lot dominated shopping center, said Tasco's chief of staff, Derek Green.

Two community meetings were held in the past several months, and Tasco has asked the Planning Commission and the Redevelopment Authority to ask for another set of proposals.

"We're looking for a creative, town-center-type of design that will make the development a destination location and kick-start the redevelopment of the entire Logal community," Green said. The proposal is still being worked on. Making it likely that Logan residents won't have anything to look for another 6 months.

It’s crunch time for City Council members trying to get their pet bills passed before the end of the term - especially those who are leaving office and allies of outgoing Mayor John Street.
The calendar is bursting with public hearings — Monday begins a three week flurry culminating in the final Council meeting Dec. 13. Any bills not passed by then are dead -- they would have to be reintroduced,
and pass through the committee process again, when the new term begins Jan. 7.
The Transportation and Public Utilities Committee holds a hearing Monday on outgoing Councilwoman Carol Ann Campbell’s bill to require Philadelphia school buses to use three-point seatbelts. Campbell, who has vowed to push her agenda until her last day in office, also has bills in committee this week requiring recreation programming for the disabled and prompt payment of city contractors.

Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, a Street ally, still wants to pass a bill that would require dentists to provide some degree of disclosure about the mercury contained in fillings. On Wednesday the Public Safety Committee will hold a hearing on her bill to prohibit minors from doing fund-raising in the street.
Next week Councilman Frank Rizzo gets a hearing on his proposals to regulate towing, and Councilman Darrell L. Clarke, also a Street ally, will be before the Licenses and Inspections Committee for his bill that would make the displaying of symbols including nooses and burning crosses a crime.

This in from the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber announces that the 2007 William Penn Award, the highest honor bestowed on a business executive in Greater Philadelphia, will be presented to Dr. Constantine Papadakis, President of Drexel University.

When you're running for reelection while awaiting trial on federal corruption charges, you're not going to get around the big, honking, indictment that says bad things about you. And state Senator Vince Fumo's opponent in the Democratic primary next Spring, Anne Dicker, isn't wasting any time, spending her hard-earned campaign cash to "educate" voters on all those allegations. And in case you might pass over it, Dicker sent out an advisory today:

DICKER LAUNCHES AD CAMPAIGN TARGETING FUMO INDICTMENT
Philadelphia, PA, Nov 26 -- On Tuesday, November 27 the Anne Dicker for State Senate Campaign will run the first of a series of three full-page ads aimed at educating voters about the particulars of the Vince Fumo indictment. Tomorrow's ad will run on page 19 of the Daily News. The three full-page ads will run on successive Tuesdays with the next two running in the Daily News on December 4 and 11.

Oh, this is not going to be a nice one at all.

Students at Holy Family University will risk expulsion from school if they violate new parking rules that allow for the building of a new dormitory, business school and parking garage.
The university’s plan to build a five-story building to house 350 students, expand its student center by 80,000 square feet, and build a 4-story parking garage and business school should clear City Council’s Rules Committee today (Monday) and is expected to pass the full council in two weeks.
To ease the concerns of its neighbors in Northeast Philadelphia, the university agreed to a strict parking policy. Councilman Brian J. O’Neill said students parking on residential streets will be fined $100 the first time; the second time they will be booted and fined $250; and the third time they will be expelled from Holy Family.
We're thinking that could cut enrollment in half.

City Council candidate David Oh will contest the Nov. 6 election in which he finished third in the race for two minority council seats.
Oh said the Board of Elections, City Commissioners and the city of Philadelphia failed to “follow the statutory and legal process governing absentee ballots,” but it was unclear yesterday whether his petition would be accepted.
Oh has asserted that absentee ballots should have been counted at polling places on Election Night rather than brought to the Board of Elections.
Court of Common Pleas Judge Pamela Dembe, acting chair of the Board of Elections, could not be reached for comment last night on Oh’s petition. Yesterday was the deadline both for Oh to contest the election, and the Board to certify the results, which it did.
Oh, a Republican, lost to incumbent Councilman Jack Kelly by 122 votes in the race for two at large seats reserved for the minority party. City Councilman Frank Rizzo was the leading Republican at-large vote-getter.Kelly spokesman Frank Keel said yesterday: “It is deplorable that Mr. Oh is attempting to disenfranchise so many Philadelphia voters with his vague and baseless accusations. This electoral process was open, transparent and above-board. Oh lost — period.”

Mayor-elect Michael Nutter just put out a press release saying he'll make "a major announcement" at 2 p.m. today, in the Mayor's Reception Room in City Hall.
Transition team details? Chief of staff? Managing Director? Dog Catcher?
Stay tuned.

Mayor-elect Michael Nutter is expected to name Clarence D. Armbrister, senior executive at Temple University and a former city treasurer, as his chief of staff this afternoon.

A press conference is scheduled for 2 p.m. in City Hall.

At Temple, Armbrister is widely regarded as a highly capable and well-liked administrator. He was hired by former Temple President David Adamany in 2003, and promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer on Jan. 1 of this year by new Temple President Ann Weaver Hart. Armbrister has oversight over virtually all non-academic university operations.
Before joining Temple in 2003, Armbrister was director of UBS PaineWebber’s Municipal Securities Group in Philadelphia.

His public-sector experience includes stints as managing director of the School District of Philadelphia and city treasurer under then-Mayor Ed Rendell. His wife Denise McGregor Armbrister, is a member of the School Reform Commission.

Nutter spokeswoman Melanie Johnson declined comment.

In choosing Armbrister, Nutter again filled a high-level position with someone who is outside his inner circle and less known for his city political connections than his professional qualificiations.

Nutter’s two other picks to date include former Washington Police Chief Chuck Ramsey, who will become Philadelphia’s police commissioner, and Rob Dubow, a former city budget director who will resign as head of the state agency that monitors city spending to become Nutter’s finance director.

Well, that's three jobs done.

Rob Dubow, finance director. Chuck Ramsey, police commissioner. And as of a few minutes ago, Clarence Armbrister, chief of staff.

But there are still hundreds of jobs for Michael Nutter to fill, and he has received close to 3,000 resumes to help him choose.

Some of the work, though, will be done by Armbrister, Nutter said in an interview after announcing his new top aide at today's press conference.

Will he be an energetic, everywhere-man like Rendell's David L. Cohen? Or a behind-the-scenes master like Street's Joyce Wilkerson?

Nutter's response: "I expect that when public servants get a call from the chief of staff, they should respond like they're getting a call from me," Nutter said.

Philadelphia’s commerce director yesterday awarded SugarHouse Casino a license to build on twelve acres of submerged state-owned land along the Delaware River.
Commerce Director Stephanie Naidoff’s ruling yesterday is yet another move in the chess game that pits Mayor Street and Gov. Rendell, who want to see two casinos built along the riverfront, against City Council, which has allied itself with neighborhood opponents and anti-casino activists.
A lawsuit challenging Naidoff’s decision is a foregone conclusion — City Council authorized funds to hire a lawyer for that purpose earlier this month.

The Mayor-elect talks about new days and new ways. Here are the people he has selected to make it happen.

Philadelphia, November 28, 2007 – Today Mayor-elect Michael Nutter announced the co-chairs for his transition team. This committee will work to prepare for the Nutter Administration in January 2008.

“I am very excited about the extraordinary talent and diverse experience of the individuals who have agreed to serve on my Transition Team. These people have stepped forward to serve their city and will be helping us prepare as we build towards the beginning of my administration in January,” said Nutter.

To read more, click here.

Mayor-elect Michael Nutter met with embattled Parking Authority Executive Director Vincent Fenerty today. The Nutter campaign tells Heard in the Hall that the meeting was friendly, but that Nutter made it clear he thought the state-controlled agency should be delivering more money both to the schools and the city's general fund. Like Gov. Rendell, Nutter wants an audit of the PPA.

After the meeting with Fenerty, Nutter sat down with representatives of Parents United for Public Education, telling them he supported their quest for more cash from the PPA, according to Nutter's campaign. But he also reminded them that cleaning up the PPA was the state's job, given the fact that the mayor has no formal control over the agency.

City Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell has dropped her longstanding opposition to moving the city’s Youth Study Center to her West Philadelphia district in exchange for improvements in her district including a community center to be named after her late husband, two sources familiar with the agreement said yesterday.
The deal, which is expected to be announced at a press conference Thursday, ends a stalemate that had confounded the Street administration and complicated plans for the Barnes Foundation to move its prized art collection to the center’s current site adjacent to the Ben Franklin Parkway.

Sources are telling Heard in the Hall that Inspector General Seth Williams will not be reappointed by mayor-elect Michael Nutter. And who will replace Williams? That's still not completely clear, but it could be someone with serious investigatory/prosecutorial experience, perhaps from the FBI or U.S. Attorney's office. In any event, we will know for sure at 2 p.m. today. Nutter has scheduled a press conference at the Criminal Justice Center where he will announce THREE new appointments. They're coming fast now...

In related news, Heard in the Hall's Jeff Shields reports that Councilwoman Carol Ann Campbell will not call for a vote on legislation expanding the IG's power, meaning it would have to be reintroduced next year by another council member, because Campbell is leaving office.

Update: Via the Next Mayor, the Daily News is reporting that one of today's appointments will be Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Kurland.

The mayor-elect right now is standing outside the Criminal Justice Center, where he is expected to name his pick to fill a vacancy on the Philadelphia Board of Ethics.

How interesting, then, that Mayor Street advised City Council this morning that he would also be appointing someone, Damon Jones, to fill that vacancy. (It was created about a month or two ago when Pauline Abernathy resigned from the ethics board to join Nutter's campaign team.)

The mayor - whoever it is - is the appointing authority, but City Council must vote on that choice within 60 days. Otherwise, the appointee at that time becomes a full-fledged board member.

Do the math: Sixty days from today is well past Jan. 7, when Mayor Street will no longer be in office.

How interesting.

From the just concluded press conference. This is a no-joke, seriously credentialed trio of women with firsthand experience cleaning up corruption in Philadelphia.

Inspector General: Amy L. Kurland, who has more than 20 years as an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She helped take down L&I inspector Frank Antico, corrupt plumbing inspectors and other white collar bad guys.

Chief Integrity Officer (a new position): Joan L. Markman, also of the U.S. Attorney's office, who took down former City Treasurer Corey Kemp.

Ethics Board nominee: Kenya Mann, of Ballard Spahr, formerly of the U.S. Attorney's office. She sent former City Councilman Rick Mariano to prison.

Update: Corrected Kurland's prosecutions. She was not counsel on the Corey Kemp case as originally reported. That job fell to Markman.

More than 106,000 Philadelphians voted for Michael Nutter in last May’s mayoral primary. But Nutter’s new chief of staff — Clarence A. Armbrister — likely wasn’t one of them.

In a Friday interview, Armbrister said that he backed U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah in the primary, an awkward fact that Nutter was willing to overlook.

“Michael and I talked about that, and I told him that I’d made a commitment that I kept,” Arbmrister said. “To his great credit, that didn’t matter to him when it came time to put his staff together.”